1 year, port removal and Disney World

On March 24th I passed the one year mark of my diagnoses. I can't believe that it has been a year. When I think back on the night that forever changed me I feel so proud of myself. I have come so far and overcome so many things. I remember thinking about everything that I was about to go through and feeling like there was no end in sight. When in actuality the year flew by! I know I have said in previous posts how thankful I am for my doctors but saying it a few times doesn't feel like enough. I honestly feel like I hit the doctor lottery (if there was such a thing). I would not trade Drs. Pahnke, Misleh, or Saunders for anything. Each of them have been so caring, compassionate, and have all gone above and beyond what a doctor has to. Dr. Panke did such an incredible job with my surgery, he spent so many of his own personal hours talking to my husband and I. He took the time to invest in me and my family and he really truly cared. It wasn't the I have to because I am your doctor and it is my job care it was I am going to do whatever it takes whenever it needs to be done care. Seeing him every 6 months now feels like a lifetime between appointments, I actually miss him. Dr. Misleh knows how I feel about him, he has the hardest job in the world at times and the best at other times. There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel grateful for him. He got me through the worst year of my life, now anyone that knows me knows that I can be a little much to handle at times and some might even say I am dramatic (which I totally am)but Dr. Misleh never downplayed any of my feelings or concerns, he listened to my crazy questions and silly reasoning for doing things and he had an ability to make me feel calm, maybe it is because he saved my life but when he says something I believe in him with everything I have. Dr. Saunders has such a special place in my heart. I never thought that I would ever look in the mirror again and be happy with what I saw. Dr. Saunders did such an incredible job, he gave me back something that cancer took away from me. Not only did he give me back some boobs but I have to say they are better than the other ones. How many 32 year olds with two kids can say they have perky twenty year old boobs, it's nice. Everyday I feel more and more like myself again and everyday I am one step closer to hearing the word cured. Yesterday, April 5th, I received my 18th and final Herceptin infusion! I also get to have my port, or Maurice as my kids call it, removed next Wednesday morning ( side note, DO NOT YouTube any procedures you are going to have done, you will find a video and it will scare the crap out of you). I am so excited to finally have that thing removed from my body. Of course I am nervous, the thought of my collapsed lung when it went in terrifies me. Now of course there is no chance of them collapsing my lung while removing it but it still haunts me. That was the worst experience of my life and I will never let anyone give me a chest tube again. Having the port removed feels like it is all officially over, something I have been dreaming about and wanting to happen for the past year. DISNEY WORLD! In ten days we will pack up the car and travel to sunny Florida for seven days of just the Minskers. We have never been a family vacation before, the last time Ryan and I went away was to the Outer Banks while I was pregnant with Gabby. The kids can hardly contain their excitement but I think mommy might just be a little more excited. I am so grateful for the women in radiation who nominated my family for this trip and even more thankful for the For Pete's Sake Foundation for choosing my family for this trip. It is going to be so nice to not think about anything that has happened, to see my kids faces when they see Disney and to make some really great memories with Ryan, Gabby, and Cole. All in all what started out as being a horrible journey that I didn't want to go on, it is endidng with me feeling I am grateful for each experience I have had.